Stewart Cink thinks Michael Sims should stop trying to be perfect and instead focus on being tougher mentally if he wants to make it on to the PGA Tour.

Cink also said the key to making it out of the second-tier Nationwide Tour, and into the main event, was to centre your 'whole life around becoming a better golfer'.

And the British Open champion should know, his record setting 1996 Nationwide season saw him win three events including the Tour Championship, and finish top of the money list.

In contrast Sims narrowly missed out on this week's Tour Championship, and was one place from securing his Tour card for next year, when a miserable final round 76 at the Miccosukee Championships saw him tumble down the leaderboard and ultimately finish 61st in the money list.

The Bermudian crumbled on the back nine, and his suspect temperament cost him as he blew up on hole after hole in front of the TV cameras, cursing on several occasions and throwing his hat to the floor on a couple of others.

PGA Grand Slam winner Lucas Glover took time off at the beginning of the year to 'gain some perspective' after enduring a tough 2008 when he regularly allowed one bad hole to ruin a round.

"You just have to step back and take a look at what's really happening," said Cink. "It's easy for us (golfers) to really feel like the world is focused on you if you're playing poorly, like I was on the back nine on Wednesday, but the reality is that it's not as noticeable as you think it is.

"And you can't try and be perfect out there, because this game is not about being perfect."

A desire to focus on shooting low scores, rather than course management, is something of an Achilles heel for Sims

He admitted recently that's how he sets out to play every round, and although he scored more eagles (19) than anyone else on the Tour this year, he was also placed 101 in greens in regulation, 120 on driving accuracy, and more tellingly, was 81 in birdies.

There have been suggestions that a caddy with a strong temperament might be needed to keep the Bermudian calm and focused during the tough times, but Cink said it didn't matter what caddy a golfer had if the mental aspect wasn't right.

"It's not the caddy, it's a mental thing," he said. "You have to be organised with your practising and really you have to centre your whole life around trying to become a better golfer every day.

"I was fortunate, I played really well one year I was out there, and finished first on the money list.

"But it is a long year, and if you do the right things, and you prepare yourself, and mentally if you're tough you can work your way through, and it's a great way to get on to the PGA Tour."